Posts Tagged ‘I was thinking’

The Value of Baseball Ownership. I was thinking. After reading what MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has done for The Los Angeles Dodgers – Thank you Mr. Commissioner. Let’s talk about Dodgertown USA. What if the owners of The Dodgers would be: The City of Los Angeles – one third; the fans who build this team – one third; and the team members – one third. I know this is a bold, progressive statement, but, stop and think about it for one minute.

Ever since the O’Malleys left and Jaime and Frank McCourt took over and, now, considering the all of the terrible events that have happened, The LA Dodgers are mired in one of the darkest periods of their history. Sadly the unspeakable and disgusting Bryan Stow incident was the last straw. The McCourts’ behaviors, ridiculous divorce proceedings, quest for greed and a lust for more luxury homes has decimated the city’s morale, the fans and the team.

But, I digress. More importantly, what if a small board represented each of the parties and instead of one mastermind or out of control owner controlling these teams, the actual parties who “make” these teams would have a say in their destiny. I strongly feel this would motivate players and the fans (the new investors) in a way so that the Dodgers would be seen like that of a group enterprise. And thusly, as the team plays/wins more, so does their value increase. Right now The Dodgers value would be seen as low, in the rebuilding stage and so on the way to an emerging market.

The Dodgers and the Dodger Fans have been seen as a commodity. I don’t see these great players and fans as instrument to just use. Currently, that is what the McCourts see/use them as. Why do you think the McCourts were slow to react on the Bryan Stow incident and felt they had enough security; not until the public outcry from fans and John and Ken on KFI 640 stepped in did we hear from the owners. The McCourts have been checked out; their lifestyle, their divorce has left them that way. They need to step down. The players and the fans are human beings and have value. It’s time for them to have a say in their future.

The Dodgers are a team of people, the fans are a team, the City is a team; there are three teams involved in the success of this endeavor called The Los Angeles Dodgers. It is quite a paradigm shift and one, I imagine, that would be met with resistance. After all, we are talking about many strong personalities and ego driven mentalities.

What if these parties run it, pay for it, develop it and make baseball not only fun again but an enjoyable, spiritual and an exciting event for all of us. It’s a game – it’s a great game - to have fun and share fellowship. It’s an American past-time, a family affair to share, to teach kids the importance of fair play, abilities, respect and acknowledgement of skills, commitment and hard work. Did I say kids? It teaches us all, especially in times like these. It’s an important part of Americana.

I was thinking: would this be a good idea for other baseball teams and other team sports?

How about this, just a thought, bring Pete Rose back into baseball right here in Los Angeles as the manager of the Dodgers. He’s not far away, he lives in the Valley. It’s a short drive. What do you think LA?